Neil J. Skolnick, Ph.D.
135 West 75th Street 1-R
New York, N.Y. 10023
(212) 362-2869
njspsy@aol.com
Spring, 2012
FAIRBAIRN'S OBJECT RELATlONS THEORY
Writing in the preface to Fairbairn's (1952) Psychoanalytic Studies of the Personality,
Earnest Jones notes the geographical and professional isolation in which Fairbairn
formulated his ideas. Yet Fairbairn most pointedly directed his revisions of classical
psychoanalytic theory to others, notably Freud and Klein. This course will attempt to
place Fairbairn's ideas in the context of the established currents of thought to which he
addressed his writings. It will also attempt to draw the threads of his theory forward in
time to more contemporary trends in relational theory, self psychology, and trauma
theory. The course will rely heavily on clinical material to illustrate the comparative
issues discussed.
FAIRBAIRN'S OBJECT RELATIONS THEORY
I.
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TOWARD A NEW THEORY OF MOTIVATION: LIBIDO RECONSIDERED
(Week 1)
1.
FAIRBAIRN, W.R.D. (1952), Psychoanalytic Studies of the Personality.
Chapters 1 & 2(p.28-34 only).
2.
GREENBERG, J. and MITCHELL, S. (1983), Object Relations in
Psychoanalytic Theory. p. 151-160.
3.
MITCHELL, SA. (1996), Fairbairn's object seeking: Between Paradigms.
In Skolnick and Scharff (Eds.), Fairbairn, Then and Now. p. 115-137.
RECOMMENDED READING
II.
1.
WISDOM, J.C. (1963), Fairbairn's contribution on object relationship,
splitting and ego structure. Br. J. Med. Psych. 36, p. 45-151.
2.
BIRTLES, E.F. (1996), Developing connections: Fairbairn’s philosophic
contribution. In Skolnick and Scharff (Eds.) Fairbairn, Then and Now.
p. 33-53.
3.
GUNTRIP, H. (1961), Personality Structure and Human Interaction.
p.276-287.
TOWARD A NEW THEORY OF DEVELOPMENT AND
PSYCHOPATHOLOGY (Week 2)
1.
FAIRBAIRN, W.R.D. (1952), Psychoanalytic Studies of the Personality.
Chapter 2 (p.34-58).
2.
GREENBERG, J. and MITCHELL, S. (1983), Object Relations in
Psychoanalytic Theory. p.160-163.
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3
RECOMMENDED READING
III.
1.
GUNTRIP, H. (1961), Personality Structure and Human Interaction.
p.287-297.
2.
PADEL, J. (1991), Fairbairn's thought on the relationship of inner and
outer worlds. Free Association. Vol.2, Part 4 (No.24). p. 589-615.
3.
RUBENS, A. (1996), Fairbairn's theory of depression. In Skolnick and
Scharff (Eds.) Fairbairn, Then and Now. p. 215-235.
MORE ON PSYCHOPATHOLOGY- REPRESSION AND GUILT
RECONSIDERED (Week 3)
1.
FAIRBAIRN, W.R.D. (1952), Psychoanalytic Studies of the Personality.
Chapter 3.
2.
GREENBERG, J. A. and MITCHELL, S. (1983), Object Relations in
Psychoanalytic Theory. p. 169-174.
3.
DAVIES, J.M. (1996), Repression and dissociation- Freud and Janet:
Fairbairn's new model of unconscious process. In Skolnick and Scharff
(Eds.)
Fairbairn, Then and Now. p. 53-71.
RECOMMENDED READING
1.
IV.
FAIRBAIRN, W.R.D. (1954), Observations on the nature of hysterical
states. Br. J. of Med. Psych, 27. p.105-125.
TOWARD A NEW THEORY OF ENDOPSYCHIC STRUCTURE:
EGO AND SUPEREGO RECONSlDERED (Week 4)
1.
FAIRBAIRN, W.R.D. (1952), Psychoanalytic Studies of the Personality
Chapters 4 and 5 (p. 82-151).
2.
GREENBERG, JA. and MITCHELL, S. (1983), Object Relations in
Psychoanalytic Theory. p.163-169.
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4
3.
SKOLNICK, N.J. (1996), The good, the bad, and the ambivalent:
Fairbairn's difficulty locating the good object in the endopsychic structure.
In Skolnick and Scharff (Eds.) Fairbairn, Then and Now. p. 137-161.
RECOMMENDED READING
V.
1.
GUNTRIP, H. (1961), Personality Structure and Human Interaction.
p.321- 335
2.
FAIRBAIRN, W.R.D. Psychoanalytic Studies of the Personality.
Chapters 6 & 7 (p. 152-179).
3.
RUBENS, R.L. (1984), The meaning of structure in Fairbairn. Int. Rev.
Psychoanal. 11, p. 429-440.
GUNTRIP’S CONTRIBUTION (week 5)
1.
GUNTRIP, H. (1969), Schizoid Phenomena, Object Relations and the
Self. Part I (p.17-86)
RECOMMENDED READING
1.
FAIRBAIRN, W.R.D. (1957), Freud, the psychoanalytic method and
mental health. Brit. J. Med. Psych. 30, Part 2.
2.
VI.
GUNTRIP, H. (1961), Personality Structure and Human Interaction.
p.246-267.
THE SELF: RELATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS (Week 6)
1.
GREENBERG, J.R. AND MITCHELL, S.A. (1983), Object Relations in
Analytic Theory. Cambridge, MA: Harvard U. Press. p. 351-372
2.
BACAL, M.A. (1987), British object relations theorists and self
psychology: some critical reflections. Int. J. Psychoan. 68, p.81-98.
3.
ROBBINS, M. (1992), A Fairbairnian object relation’s perspective on self
psychology. Am. J. Psychoan. 53 (3), p.247-261.
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5
RECOMMENDED READING
VII.
1.
MITCHELL, S.A. (1988), Relational Concepts in Psychoanalysis: An
Integration, Cambridge, MA: Harvard U. Press. p. 179-234.
2.
FOSSHAGE, J.L. (1992), Self Psychology: The self and its vicissitudes
within a relational matrix, In N. Skolnick and S. Warshaw (Eds.) Relational
Perspectives in Psychoanalysis, NJ: The Analytic Press.
p.21-42.
TREATMENT CONSIDERATIONS: WHAT’S A GOOD OBJECT TO DO?
(Week 7)
1.
FAIRBAIRN, W.R.D. (1958), On the nature and aims of psychoanalytic
treatment. Int. J. of Psycho-Anal. 29, p.374-385.
2.
SKOLNICK, N.J. (2006), What’s a good object to do? Dialogues, Vol 16,
p.1-29.
3.
GUNTRIP, H. (1975), My experience of analysis with Fairbairn and
Winnicott. Int. Rev. of Psycho-AnaI. 2, p. 145-156.
4.
SKOLNICK, N.J. and DAVIES, J.M. (1992), Secrets in clinical work: A
relational point of view: In N.J. Skolnick, and S.C. Warshaw, (Eds.) (1992).
Relational Perspectives in Psychoanalysis, Hillsdale, NJ: The Analytic
Press. p.217-239.
RECOMMENDED READING
1.
ARMSTRONG-PERLMAN, E.M. (1991), The allure of the bad object,
Free Association, 2 (Part 3, No. 23), p.343-356.
2.
GUNTRIP, H. (1961), Personality Structure and Human Interaction.
p.413-444.
GUNTRIP, H. (1969), Schizoid Phenomena. Object Relations, and the
Self. Chapter XIII.
3.
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4.
HAZEL, J. (1991), Reflections on my experience of psychoanalysis
with Guntrip. Contemporary Psychoanalysis, p.148-166.
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7
REFERENCES
Armstrong-Perlman, E.M. (1991). The allure of the bad object. Free Association 2 (3),
343-346.
Eagle, M. (1987). Recent Developments in Psychoanalysis: A Critical Evaluation.
Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Birtles, E.F. (1996). Developing connections: Fairbairn's philosophic contribution. In
Skolnick, N.J. and Scharff, D. E. (Eds.)(1998). Fairbairn, Then and Now. Hillsdale,
NJ: The Analytic Press.
Davies, J.M. (1996). Repression and dissociation- Freud and Janet:
Fairbairn's new model of unconscious process. In Skolnick, N.J. and Scharff, D. E.
(Eds.) (1998). Fairbairn, Then and Now. Hillsdale, NJ: The Analytic Press.
Fairbairn, W.R.D. (1952). Psychoanalytic Studies of the Personality.
London: Routledge and Kegan Paul.
Fairbairn, W.R.D. (1954). Observations on the nature of hysterical states, Br.
J. Med. Psvchol. 27,105-125.
Fairbairn, W.R.D. (1955). Observations in defense of the object relations theory of
personality. Brit. J. Med. Psvchol.28. 164-156.
Fairbairn, W.R.D. (1956). A critical evaluation of certain basic psychoanalytic
conceptions. Brit. J. Phil. Science, 7, No.25.
Fairbairn, W.R.D. (1957). Freud, the psychoanalytic method and mental health. Brit. J.
Med. Psvchol 30 Part 2.
Fairbairn, W.R.D. (1958). On the nature and aims of psychoanalytic treatment.
Int.J.Psychoanalysis, 29, 374-385.
Freud, S. (1920). Beyond the Pleasure Principal, S.E. 18.
Freud, S. (1920). The Ego and the Id, S.E. 19.
Greenberg, J. (1992). Beyond the Oedipus Complex: A Clinical Theory.
Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Greenberg, J. and Mitchell, S.A. (1983). Object Relations in Psychoanalytic Theory.
Cambridge: Harvard.
Grotstein, J.S. and Rinsley, D.B. (Eds.)(1994). Fairbairn and the Origins of Object
Relations NY: The Guilford Press.
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Grotstein, J.S. (1996). A comparison of Fairbairn’s endopsychic structure
and Klein's internal world. In Skolnick, N.J. and Scharff, D. E. (Eds.)(1998).
Fairbairn, Then and Now. Hillsdale, NJ: The Analytic Press
Guntrip, H. (1961). Personality Structure and Human Interaction. NY: IUP.
Guntrip, H. (1969). Schizoid Phenomena, Object Relations, and the Self.
NY: IUP.
Guntrip, H. (1975) My experience of analysis with Fairbairn and Winnicott. Int. Rev. of
Psychoanalysis, 2, 145-156.
Klein, M. (1935). A contribution to the psychogenesis of manic-depressive states, In
Klein, M. (1964). Contributions to Psychoanalysis, 1921-1945.
NY: McGraw Hill.
Klein, M. (1946). Notes on some schizoid mechanisms, in Klein, M.,
Heimann, P., Isaacs, S. and Riviere, J. (1983). In Klein, M. (1975) Envy,
Gratitude, and Other Works. 1943-1963, NY: Delacorte Press.
Mitchell, S.A. (1981). The origin and the nature of the "object" in the
theories of Klein and Fairbairn. Contemporary Psychoanalysis 17, (3),
374-398.
Mitchell, S.A. (1996). Fairbairn's object seeking: Between Paradigms. In Skolnick, N.J.
and Scharff, D. E. (Eds.)(1998). Fairbairn, Then and Now. Hillsdale, NJ: The
Analytic Press.
Padel, J. (1991) Fairbairn's thought on the relationship of inner and outer worlds. Free
Association, 2, (4) 589-615.
Rubens, R.L. (1984) The meaning of structure in Fairbairn. Int. Rev. Psvcho-Anal. 11,
429-440.
Rubens, R.L. (1996). Fairbairn's theory of depression. In Skolnick, N.J. and Scharff, D.
E. (Eds.)(1998). Fairbairn, Then and Now. Hillsdale, NJ: The Analytic Press.
Scharff, D.E. and Birtles, E.F. (Eds.) (1994). From Instinct To Self: Selected Papers of
W.R.D. Fairbairn, NJ: Jason Aronson.
Seinfeld, J. (1996). The dialectic between W.R.D. Fairbairn and Wilfred Bion. Paper
presented at the Fairbairn Conference, NY Academy of Medicine.
Skolnick, N.J. and Davies, J.M. (1992), Secrets in clinical work: A relational point of
view: In N.J. Skolnick, and S.C. Warshaw, (Eds.) (1992). Relational Perspectives in
Psychoanalysis, Hillsdale, NJ: The Analytic Press. p.217-239.
8
9
Skolnick, N.J. (1996). The good, the bad, and the arnbivalent: Fairbairn's difficulty
locating the good object in the endopsychic structure. In Skolnick, N.J. and Scharff,
D. E. (Eds.)(1998). Fairbairn, Then and Now. Hillsdale, NJ: The Analytic Press.
Skolnick, N.J. (2006), What’s a good object to do? Dialogues, Vol 16, p.1-29.
Sutherland, J.D. (1963). Object relations theory and the conceptual model of
psychoanalysis. Brit. J. Med. Psychol. 36, 109-124.
Sutherland, J.D. (1989). Fairbairn's Journey into the Interior. London: Free Association
Press.
Wisdom, J.O. (1963). Fairbairn's contribution on object-relationship, splitting and ego
structure. Brit. J. Med. Psychol. 36, 145-159.
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